Welcome back to my tour through the red-flag minefield of job postings, where if you don’t read between the lines, you’ll end up working 60 hours a week for peanuts and a company mug that says “We Value You.”
In Part 1, we looked at some of the classics: “Fast-paced environment,” “We’re like a family,” and “Looking for rockstars!” Frankly, I’m already annoyed, and this is only the second paragraph.
Let’s move on to another batch of phrases you’ll see in a job posting that definitely deserve a closer look. As always, the goal is not to assume every company using these phrases should be avoided at all costs. The goal is to learn to read between the lines and to ask the right questions to get to the truth.
Red Flag #5: Writing “competitive salary” but offering no salary range.
“Competitive salary” is one of those phrases that sounds appealing until you realize it provides no information whatsoever.
Competitive with what? The market rate? The current economy? Today’s cost of living? Loose change in my couch?
Candidates want to know whether the role meets their financial needs. That is not greed—people need to be paid a livable wage. When companies avoid listing salary ranges, they often say it is because “compensation depends on experience.” That can be true, but a range still helps.
So job seekers, if you see this phrase, ask these questions during the interview:
- “Can you share the salary range for this role?”
- “How is compensation determined?”
- “Is the range flexible?”
Hiding salary information just wastes everyone’s time. It can also create distrust before the candidate even applies. And if the salary is low, the answer is not to hide it behind “competitive.” The answer is to either improve the compensation, adjust the role expectations, or be honest about what is being offered.
A low-paying job with reasonable expectations may still appeal to someone. A low-paying job pretending to be an amazing opportunity is just a dirty bait-and-switch tactic.
Red Flag #6: “Unlimited earning potential.”
This phrase often appears in sales job postings. Now, to be fair, some roles genuinely do offer strong earning potential. However, “unlimited earning potential” can also mean:
- The base pay is low
- Income is highly unpredictable
- Success depends on conditions employees can’t control
So job seekers, if you see this phrase, ask these questions during the interview:
- “What is the base salary?”
- “How long does it typically take to build up to expected earnings?”
- “What support is provided to help people succeed?”
Red Flag #7: It’s an entry-level role that requires five years of experience.
This one deserves its own blog. I’m taking a deep breath before I get into it, because this is the kind of job posting that makes my eye twitch.
*breathes*
“Entry-level” means—or should mean—the role is suitable for someone entering the field who wants to gain experience, such as recent graduates or career changers. It should not mean senior-level responsibilities for entry-level pay.
When companies ask for several years of experience in an entry-level job, it suggests they want someone skilled enough to need little training, but junior enough to be willing to accept lower pay. Candidates notice this—and it makes them angry.
The most ill-conceived job posting I’ve ever seen was for an entry-level role that required five years of experience with software that had only existed for three. That tells you all you need to know.
(If you want to assess which transferable skills a new graduate already brings to the table, check out the ATS-R – Assessment of Transferable Skills.).
So job seekers, if you see this phrase, ask these questions during the interview:
- “Is this role designed for someone developing their skills, or someone expected to perform independently right away?”
- “Are training, coaching, or mentorship provided?”
- “Are there opportunities for salary growth as responsibilities increase?”
If the company describes the role as entry-level but expects someone to arrive fully trained, fully independent, and fully ready to carry a heavy workload, that is not an entry-level job. Stay far, far away.
Red Flag #8: “Must be able to handle stress.”
There are very few jobs that are truly stress-free. Honestly, I’m having a hard time thinking of one.
The only example that comes to mind is a role a friend once told me about, where the person’s sole responsibility was to make sure a building had a sufficient number of indoor plants. That was it. He wasn’t even responsible for watering them. And apparently, if someone moved one of the plants, he’d go into full investigation mode—so I guess the indoor-plant-counting industry has its pressures.
Most jobs involve some form of stress—tight deadlines, high-stakes responsibilities, competition, difficult conversations, urgent decisions, demanding customers, or emotionally demanding situations.
So when a job posting says “must be able to handle stress” without explaining the nature of that stress, I start to wonder whether they are describing the job or confessing that they have a lot of turnover. Are we talking about normal job pressures, like the ones I mentioned above? Or are we talking about a workplace that is so toxic, you need an emotional gas mask?
So job seekers, if you see this phrase, ask these questions during the interview:
- “What types of stressors does someone in this role typically face? How often?”
- “How does the company support people during these stressful periods?”
- “How many people have held this position in the last five years?”
Red Flag #9: “Must be passionate.”
Job passion is a wonderful thing. Have you ever dealt with someone who genuinely loves what they do? They make your entire experience so awesome. A server who has a genuine smile and who loves the restaurant can make your dinner so much more enjoyable. A salesperson who actually wants you to end up with the right product—not just the most expensive one—makes you want to come back and buy more. You can’t fake that kind of passion, and you can’t force it. When it’s real, it shows.
My issue is that “Must be passionate” can be code for “Must love this job even though we make you work excessive hours and don’t pay you what you deserve.” Essentially, they want you to be your own source of motivation. “If you have passion, you don’t need a livable wage—the joy of the work should be enough.” Wrong.
Candidates who ask for a livable wage can still care about the work. They can choose not to work overtime or weekends and still believe in your mission. They can have a work-life balance and still be loyal.
So job seekers, if you see this phrase, ask these questions during the interview:
- “What does the workload typically look like?”
- “How often is overtime required, and is it mandatory?”
- “How does the company prevent burnout?”
Passion should never be a buffer for unfair work conditions. It’s like trying to stop the impact of a snowstorm with an umbrella—doable, but not for long.
If a role is demanding, the company needs to have actual support in place: regular breaks, mental health days, fair task division, and realistic workloads. Otherwise, people will burn out faster than a tealight candle in a volcano.
What Companies Should Take from This
Candidates understand that every workplace has challenges. Nearly every role has boring tasks, busy seasons, dated systems, problematic customers, and days when employees may question why, oh why, they chose this industry. The problem is when companies hide, minimize, or re-brand those difficult parts instead of dealing with them.
Before posting a job opening, ask yourself:
“What am I actually asking this person to do?”
Are the responsibilities clear, realistic, and easy to explain? Or are you constantly adding tasks that don’t belong in the role?
If it’s the latter, stop doing that.
“Am I being honest about the challenges?”
Every job has hard parts. Say what they are.
But more importantly, make sure people have the resources, support, and structure to manage them. If you leave employees to fend for themselves, don’t be surprised when your office becomes a revolving door.
“Is the workload realistic?”
It doesn’t matter if the last person did it without complaining. That doesn’t mean they were fine.
“Would I apply for this job?”
If the last answer is no, you’ve got some very urgent, very serious fixes to make to the role.